Such a method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,996. This publication describes an ice dispensing device, in which a lump of ice is present in a tube-like container having a square cross-section. A threaded shaft extends in axial direction through the ice and the ice is moved through the container in said axial direction by rotating the threaded shaft. At the end of the tube-like container there is an ice cutting member, cutting uniform pieces of ice from the forward moving lump of ice (column of ice).
The pieces of ice can be put in a drink in order to cool the drink. The quantity of the dispensed ice is limited to one of the uniform pieces of ice or a certain number of such pieces of ice. It is not possible to add a different, desired quantity to the drink. Furthermore, it may be desired to cool down the drink in a short time, and therefore the outer surface of the pieces of ice has to be relatively large with respect to the content of the dispensed pieces of ice.
A disadvantage of the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,996 is that only pieces of ice having the same predetermined content can be produced, so that it is not possible to dispense any desired quantity of ice, for example a very small quantity. Furthermore, the dispensed pieces of ice are blocks, having a relatively large content with respect to their outer surface, so that the pieces of ice will melt in a relative long period of time.
In particular, the ice dispensing device according to the invention is a domestic apparatus for delivering pieces of ice for many applications. The dispensed ice can be used for preparing food or for cooling objects or for adding ice to drinks.